'It Is Possible I Select Him For Ukraine Friendly' - Rohr Holds Talks With Ex-Sunderland Striker

Nigeria manager Gernot Rohr has revealed that former Sunderland striker Josh Maja might be handed a late call-up to the Super Eagles squad ahead of their upcoming international friendly against Ukraine.

Maja has been on the radar of the Nigeria Football Federation and was invited to train with the Super Eagles ahead of a friendly against Burkina Faso in March 2017 which was later cancelled, but club commitments prevented him from joining the squad, though he briefly visited the Crowne Plaza Hotel to see the players.

Born in London, the 20-year-old has a British passport but he is not provisionally cap-tied to England, meaning he is free to make his international debut for Nigeria without submitting a request to FIFA to change his association.

In an interview with Le Point Gold, Rohr said : ''I ate with Samuel Kalu and Josh Maja, since we have a second Nigerian in Bordeaux, he is eligible for Nigeria.

''I already started talking with him about the selection, absolutely.

''We talked together, he's pretty positive because he has not played for U20s with England. He can play the friendly matches, but he can do it only because he did not play for England U20s, which is the case for many others that we have on our radar.''

Rohr added : ''For Maja, it would be easier to have him, I have a lot of attackers but it's not impossible that I select him.

''We are going to play a game in Ukraine and I was told it was too late to get a visa for players who do not have a European passport, but he has because he is also English, so he could eventually join us.

''It is possible that I select him to go to Ukraine, it is possible.''

Maja has been involved in all the matches played by Bordeaux in the Ligue 1 this season, three in total, and was on target against Montpellier on match day two.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel